Shinobi2012
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{Alan Boyle, Science Editor NBC News}
Climate denial ... creationism ... doomsday predictions ... vaccination warnings: It's all in a day's debunking for Phil Plait, the astronomer and skeptic who weighs in on all sorts of pseudo-science.
Plait, 48, started out as a researcher delving into supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and other mysteries of the universe. But that began to change when he wrote a book titled "Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing 'Hoax.'"
Over the years, he has devoted more and more time to scientific reality checks — in a follow-up book titled "Death From the Skies!" as well as his "Bad Universe" TV documentary series and the Bad Astronomy blog, now in its ninth year.
Bad Astronomy is about much, much more than bad astronomy. Plait takes on those who claim that global warming doesn't exist, that "creation science" needs to be taught in biology class or that kids shouldn't be vaccinated. For a time, he even served as the president of the James Randi Educational Foundation, which takes aim at all sorts of pseudo-scientific silliness.
So how does Plait's B.S. detector work? Here are some pointers from the pro:
Find out who's making the claim: Certain people have a history of promulgating B.S., and if you come across the latest claim from such people, your skeptical antennae should perk up. "That doesn't mean they're wrong, but it's not a bad place to start," Plait said.
Build a baloney detection kit: Before you get swept up in an artfully crafted argument, apply some scientific principles to the claims. As the late astronomer Carl Sagan said, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Sagan's own baloney detection kit is a good place to start. (The RationalWiki has boiled down his essay to hit the bullet points.)
Find out what other folks are saying: Check to see what your trusted sources have to say about a controversial claim. Of course Plait hopes that Bad Astronomy is one of those trusted sources — but he adds a caveat: "Don't trust me. I make mistakes, too. Pay attention to what other people are saying, weigh the facts, and try not to be biased."
Here are a few of Plait's trusted sources on contentious topics:
Climate change: DeSmogBlog and Skeptical Science, plus The 97 Percent blog at The Guardian.
Evolution vs. creationism: National Center for Science Education.
Vaccination myths: The Antiantivax guide.
Politics of science: Chris Mooney's analyses in books such as "The Republican War on Science" and media outlets such as Mother Jones.
Doomsday predictions: "That'd be me," Plait said. But don't get him started about the doomsday talk surrounding Comet ISON. "I'm really tired of the 'comet of the day' stupidity," he complained. "Every time a comet comes by, I've got to do something about it."
...bored waiting to be picked up for work and thought i would pass on this article.
I trust you all know what to do with this
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Climate denial ... creationism ... doomsday predictions ... vaccination warnings: It's all in a day's debunking for Phil Plait, the astronomer and skeptic who weighs in on all sorts of pseudo-science.
Plait, 48, started out as a researcher delving into supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and other mysteries of the universe. But that began to change when he wrote a book titled "Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing 'Hoax.'"
Over the years, he has devoted more and more time to scientific reality checks — in a follow-up book titled "Death From the Skies!" as well as his "Bad Universe" TV documentary series and the Bad Astronomy blog, now in its ninth year.
Bad Astronomy is about much, much more than bad astronomy. Plait takes on those who claim that global warming doesn't exist, that "creation science" needs to be taught in biology class or that kids shouldn't be vaccinated. For a time, he even served as the president of the James Randi Educational Foundation, which takes aim at all sorts of pseudo-scientific silliness.
So how does Plait's B.S. detector work? Here are some pointers from the pro:
Find out who's making the claim: Certain people have a history of promulgating B.S., and if you come across the latest claim from such people, your skeptical antennae should perk up. "That doesn't mean they're wrong, but it's not a bad place to start," Plait said.
Build a baloney detection kit: Before you get swept up in an artfully crafted argument, apply some scientific principles to the claims. As the late astronomer Carl Sagan said, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Sagan's own baloney detection kit is a good place to start. (The RationalWiki has boiled down his essay to hit the bullet points.)
Find out what other folks are saying: Check to see what your trusted sources have to say about a controversial claim. Of course Plait hopes that Bad Astronomy is one of those trusted sources — but he adds a caveat: "Don't trust me. I make mistakes, too. Pay attention to what other people are saying, weigh the facts, and try not to be biased."
Here are a few of Plait's trusted sources on contentious topics:
Climate change: DeSmogBlog and Skeptical Science, plus The 97 Percent blog at The Guardian.
Evolution vs. creationism: National Center for Science Education.
Vaccination myths: The Antiantivax guide.
Politics of science: Chris Mooney's analyses in books such as "The Republican War on Science" and media outlets such as Mother Jones.
Doomsday predictions: "That'd be me," Plait said. But don't get him started about the doomsday talk surrounding Comet ISON. "I'm really tired of the 'comet of the day' stupidity," he complained. "Every time a comet comes by, I've got to do something about it."
...bored waiting to be picked up for work and thought i would pass on this article.
I trust you all know what to do with this
